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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. snap — to click
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bass — the fish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com